pkwa

Where did you get all the TSB's from?

HeelnToe

Try http://www.finishlineperformance.com...ocs/index.html

Mitch Strickler

I also think my idle is a bit rougher with the M flash. If that means that it uses less gas on idle, I'll gladly make that trade. As I've written before, economy seems to be up about a mpg, and the car still runs nicely, but I haven't felt any seat-of-the-pants improvement in my AT's steady but not lively top gear cruising, or in high-rev performance.

RenoIV

I'm not aware of a TSB for a Nav system upgrade .... but here is a thread about how others have obtained it. Hope this helps.

Since the M-flash I'm now averaging 19.3 mpg about 70/30 highway/city. interesting to see it improve with the M flash and engine break-in. Very happy with the overall performance of the 8!!


https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...5&pagenumber=1

blksf8

got my m flash on Friday. I already hade about 60 miles on a pre-m flash tank and drove about 30 highway miles after the m-flash. When I filled up the tank, I averaged 16.67 pmg. I had been getting about 16.1 for the past 5 or so tanks of 70/30 mixed highway/city driving.

so today I drove about 80 freeway miles to the east bay and filled up again. I got 20.13 mpg. a great improvement, but of course this was about 90% freeway miles.

I then drove back home from the A's game in Oakland and filled up just now at home and got 20.95 mpg... awesome #s for me but again, mostly on highway miles.

I haven't tested a blend of highway and city driving, but I do think that my MPG should (hopefully) increase from the 16 mpg I have been getting.

swiftnet

After the "M" flash my car gets much better gas mileage. I feel the power has dipped a bit and noticed my radiator fan keeps running after I shut off the car, it ran for almost 3 minutes the other day. The radiator fan isn't a problem, just something I noticed after the "M" flash was performed.

Car has been at the dealer for 5 days as they try to track down my %^&*#$!!! CEL/Evaporativer leak problem. I miss my 8.

Mitch Strickler

Another case of radiator fan running on for quite a while after the engine is turned off after the M flash. It only happened once so far, but never in almost a year with the original flash.

boothguy

I responded to the local dealership's follow-up e-mail after my first (only) service visit and told them I was really disappointed by their refusal to update the ECU flash, pointing out the Mazda TSB that orders it. To the dealer's credit, they responded within a day with an e-mail from the customer service person and a phone call from the service manager, saying that they had only just become aware of the TSB and would do it as soon as I could bring the car in. So here's my question/observation:

Shouldn't the service personnel be looking for these TSBs as soon as Mazda issues them? Why, as Snap-On pointed out above, does the information need to be flagged for them by upgrading it to a Mazda Special Program for them to be aware of factory-recommended maintenance techniques on the products they're selling and servicing?

I get that they've got a number of cars of all ages to be concerned with. But this is supposedly the flagshi of the line, no?

Owners like the ones that frequent this forum are for the most part, ALWAYS going to be more aware and tuned-in to what these cars are all about than the dealership personnel (sales OR service), because we're enthusiasts and they're just pulling down a paycheck. The only thing they've got on us is exposure to the many cars that come across their doorstep in a given period of time. Ultimately discouraging, especially for the "average" owner, but that's the reason forums like this one are so valuable.

310Guy

First tank after M calibration = 16.0 mpg (91 octane)
Second tank = 13.38 mpg (91 octane)
Third tank = 14.83 mpg (K&N intake installed prior to this, DSC/TSC turned off, 91 octane)

I filled with 87 octane, DSC/TSC off to see if there's any improvement.

Yeah, and according to Mazda there's nothing wrong with my 8... **rolleyes**

pkwa

that is the mileage I am getting, 16-17.
I got that before the "m" calibration, and I get the same after.

There was another RX-8 that pulled up right on my tail last night, so I accelerated and he must have had an automatic, because he could not seem to keep up.

donald121

Before M flash, I got 17-18mpg

First tank after M flash - 19mpg
Second tank - 20mpg

I stuck in traffic all the time, I think that's pretty good mpg now

Mitch Strickler

I think it was Gordon who said that the M flash totally eliminated flooding. Well, he didn't count on my dealer's body shop.

I never had flooding on my early-VIN car, because I warmed up carefully. Then I got the M flash, just before some idiot ran into the rear in a rush-hour, inching along situation. The body shop guys figured out a way to flood my car (even in warm weather), so I'm getting a new set of plugs.

Mitch

G8rboy

Mine ran extensively yesterday afternoon - several minutes and loud as hell - for the first time since I've owned it. I currently have the 'L' calibration, so I think it's just the warm weather we're having (definitely the warmest since I purchased it).

RX4+30Years=RX8

I never noticed the fan running much at all, It usually turns off as I am getting out of the car, but yesterday before all the rain when I had pulled into the garage after running an errand for the kids in 90+ weather, it ran for almost 5 minutes after I parked and now I am also noticing that the air temp in my garage easily reaches 97+ within 30 minutes of parking.

I started a new thread to see how others cool their garage down.

Logan072

I get 18 mpg now, I am getting the latest flash tomorrow. I drive 50/50 highway / city
The mazda Service person told me she has gotten 26 mpg since she got her car, and that she drives all highway miles.

HeelnToe

Automatic or manual transmission? How many miles on her car?

I'm about to finish off my first post M-flash tank of fuel, and I can tell ya already, it ain't gonna be no 26mpg, lol. I'm hoping the rumours of it running rich through +-3,000 miles are true

RX4+30Years=RX8

I think that is a just a rumor. I have 5500+ and the M flash. Before the M flash I was getting 13. after I have gotten as much as 18.9. Most of my driving was a mix of highway/city/rush hour. Now I just finished my 2nd tank of in town only and I got just over 10 (ten).

Sounds like time to take it back in, but performance is not the issue. I think it is somethng to do with the accellerator. It just sits there and every changce it gets it goes to the floor.

psionic1

I just got my M flash yesterday, here are my first impressions...

I have a silver MT with 2100 miles. My VIN# falls in the range of cars needing the new flash, and my build date is 12/03.

BEFORE:
Averaging around 12 - 13 mpg. I have consistantly gotten 200 miles to a tank. That is from completely full to the guage being on the last line at empty. Give or take 5 - 10 miles, this has been completely consistant.

I do about 70/30 - city/highway driving.

When I dropped off the car, it had just over a half tank and about 90 miles on the trip, consistant with what I have been seeing since I bought the car.

No flooding.

Some rough idling in the morning.

The performance has seemed great, although a little weak at the bottom end, I have learned to give it a little gas offf the line if I want more from it.

AFTER:
Well this is based on about 100 miles of driving since I picked it up.

Good news is that I can tell right away that gas mileage is vastly improved. I don't have hard numbers yet, but when I picked it up it had just under a half tank and around 100 miles on the trip.

I hit 198 miles on the trip and still had a quarter tank of fuel left!!!! This is a first for me. I am eager to fill it up again and see what a whole tank will yield.

As for performance, I would say that the car "seemed" more edgey before the flash. But, the power seems more consistant through the whole band after the flash, like it's more refined.

If there is more overall power, it is so little that I cannot really notice. Most notable is the power at the bottom. Before the flash, when at a full stop, and I just slipped it into first, I had trouble getting off the line. After the flash, it goes. It's still not a bat outta hell unless I rev it, but I don't get that feeling like it might stall.

Incidentally, I made a list off all the things that I wanted looked at with the car and printed it out. I also printed the TSB on the M flash. I took these with me to the dealer and handed them to the service manager.

Rough idle.

Poor mileage.

Soot on exuast.

AC cycling.

Heat from center console.

None of these things were real bad on my car, except the MPG, but complaining about those things inspired the service manager to suggest the M flash.

It was nice to feel "informed", rather than an *******.

*UPDATE* I just took my son to school and I have 210 on the trip, with just under a quarter tank of gas. I expect to hit 230+ before the next fill up. And remember, that I got the M flash halfway through this tank. So I expect to break 260+ (hopefully more) on my next tank of gas.

The flash has definately been worth it to me, as I seem to be one of the ones that was getting REALLY bad mpg.

Wakka

Got my M flash last Tuesday.
Yesterday, I went to Indy for USGP pit walkabout. (Great event BTW) and drove 290 miles one-way from Nashville.

First tank: 30% Nashville city/highway, 70% I-65 cruise.
Got 21 miles per gallon. 1/4 of them were consumed before the flash.

Second tank: 100% I-65 cruising @ above 75mph.
Got 23 miles per gallon. That's TWENTY-THREE miles per gallon.

I was getting 19~20 on 100% interstate when I was traveling between Nashville and Augusta GA this winter.

Needless to say, I have ZERO complain about my car.
BTW car has 7000 miles now.

Also, few things I noticed after the flash:

- much smoother idle
- much more 'linear' power feel: no more dip before 7k rpm
- feels smoother in lower rpm, especially take off from stop

Again, this is what I feel and perceive. YMMV

Seriously, this car RULES!

Wakka

Nubo

I'll add my 2 cents since I just got the flash today. Just a few miles and I can say the car definitely feels more tractable. More smoothness and pulling down low whereas before snaking along in stop&go traffic caused a bit of bucking. And, it is pulling better at the high end also. I think I may have been experiencing a bit of the "high rpm power loss" that the MSP bulletin speaks of. Seems to growl a bit more at 7K and above. So far, so good. A little mpg improvement would be welcome, but more from a range perspective than "economy", This is my M-flash story :p

Krayzie8

i got the flash awhile back, when everyone was ranting and raving about it, and i really didnt notice much of a differance at all, no more hard starts or long starts just like the m flash is supposed to do, but no more feel in acceleration.

i just got the brand new flash and i pick my car up today, this one is supposed to give a little more hp i hear, but i really doubt it will even be worth being that excited about.

tintagel

Just got the M flash on Thursday. I am going to basically echo psionic1's comments, minus the big improvement in mileage, but I was already getting around 18MPG anyway. Acceleration seems smoother and I think I have lost the high RPM rattle.

I've been having a good experience with the service department at Showcase Mazda in Phoenix.

plato

Just got the M-flash due to hard starting problem when the engine was hot. The car does not get better gas mileage, and is now totally powerless below 4000 rpm. My van is now faster than my RX8. I`m now driving the van more often because it has more power than my RX8, man that sucks.

Genom

PLato, seriously, check your ignition coils. I've burned my leading coils twice now and what happens is the car is pwoerless under 4000RPM and in general feels pretty weak. If you look on the drivers side, under the hose that leads to the airbox, you'll see the 4 coils. Look at the first and 3rd ones and see if they look slightly melted on the top part. Comapre them with the second and fourth. If theya re melted, a replacement under warranty will have you running again.

loco4rx8

So because you had a problem, no one should get the M flash? Obviously, your car is behaving differently than most of our cars. You should take it back to the dealer and get it checked out. The M flash does not cause this symptom in a normally operating RX-8.